Arkhamverse Recommendations

Similar to Arkham Asylum:

Grant Morrison’s Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth. It’s definitely not the most linear Batman tale, thriving more on a psychological examination of Batman, his villains, and the Asylum, but its mood is eerily similar to the game even if the story isn’t reflected here. The watercolor art of the Arkham Asylum comic adds a macabre and haunting touch that complements the video game’s more sinister elements quite nicely.

Jeph Loeb’s Hush. In addition to having a list of villains similar to the popular game (Hush features appearances by pretty much every major character that the player encounters in Asylum), the comic’s pacing also feels in line with that of the game. Both feature Batman pressed for time and using not only his fists, but his detective skills to solve the problem at hand.

Similar to Arkham City:

Paul Dini’s Arkham City. This comic bridges the gap between Asylum and City, but if you haven’t played the former, don’t worry. It just as easily serves as a standalone prequel to the story, filling the reader in on the ways that many of Arkham City’s inmates ended up in said prison.

Arkham Unhinged. Like the previous entry, Arkham Unhinged seeks to give its readers some background information on what was going on inside the walls of Arkham City before Batman showed up. We get a look at the behind-bars antics of the Joker, Penguin, Two-Face, and many others as they try to adjust to the new playing field that is the Arkham City facility.

Similar to Arkham Origins:

Brian Azzarello’s Batman: Noel. A clever re-telling of the classic A Christmas Carol, Noel features the closest Gotham visually and tonally to the one we see in Origins. Here is a city where snow barely glazes over the dirt, and where a Batman with gritted teeth tries his best to keep order no matter what.

Alan Moore’s The Killing Joke. If you somehow ended up playing Origins without having read Killing Joke, there were probably quite a few references that flew over your head. I would suggest giving it another playthrough after you’ve read up, or at least re-watching certain cutscenes after you’re done with the book (you’ll know what I’m talking about once you’re through, I promise.)

If you’re interested in any of the villains that appear in the Arkham series in particular, check out our Villains Recommendation Page here.